Romero - Food Waste - Forum

I just wanted to share this, as I am quite honestly shocked..

This morning I was in Romero at 8am, and the guy was taking all the pre-packaged fruit off the shelf, and was putting them in carts. The expiry date is today April 13th. I asked him what happens to all that fruit as its obviously still good to eat, and he said it is now company policy to THROW IT AWAY???

There must have been 3 carts of perfectly decent fruit, which I am sure could have been given to a charity or a school?? Apparently its not just the fruit that gets thrown out - its EVERYTHING.

I am wondering if Buenos Vecinos or one of the other Boquete Charities could intervene and perhaps talk to the management to stop this needful waste of food??

Replies

Bob Probst April 18, 2015 at 6:11pm

So glad to hear that they are committed to keeping the food fresh.
Jim Tosch April 16, 2015 at 7:58am

To add to the problem, before the food leaves the farm much of the food is discarded because the food is not pretty enough for grocery shelves. Twice as much food has to be grown as is ultimately consumed.
Bad for the environment and drives up the price for consumers and promotes deforestation because more land is needed to feed the world.
- El Gato > Jim Tosch April 16, 2015 at 10:46am
  
  That's why we need Monsanto and GMO's. More production per hectare.
  
  I donate excess produce to Casa La Esperanza
Judy Sacco April 13, 2015 at 12:33pm

Outdated meat could hurt somebody, but I doubt anybody ever got sick from fruit that is past its use-by date. This is shocking when that fruit could be put to good use.
- Jim Tosch > Judy Sacco April 16, 2015 at 8:13am
  
  Have never understood the out dated meat thing. Maybe a valid reason but I think appearance is a problem. The beef aging process improves beef as long as it doesn't age in the market where it is kept cold or frozen.
Joanne April 13, 2015 at 11:31am

This happens all over the US in grocery stores, day old bakery outlets, restaurants, etc. Most of those establishments will not give it away for human consumption due to insurance restrictions. If someone gets sick they are on the hook.

However, they WILL give it to people to feed pond fish, birds, farm animals like pigs or zoo animals. We sometimes see papaya that is overripe at our farmers market here in David that they are throwing away. We ask if we can take it to feed the birds and they always say yes. The birds prefer it to be overripe as that's when it's the sweetest. They are not concerned with mouth feel and texture. lol

When we lived in the country and our neighbors had pigs, we would ask for and receive all the waste they had at the farmers market and take it to the pigs which was much appreciated by the pigs AND the neighbors.

It's good that you show concern over the waste. Ask to speak with the manager and see what they say. I'm sure it just goes in the dumpster. Maybe there is someone that is not opposed to dumpster diving if management is not inclined to cooperate. ? ;o)